D&D General Poll: How tough should 20th Level Fighters be? (MCU edition)

[Flamestrike]

And this character cannot demolish a skyscraper in one turn, tank a neuron star or throw a truck.

No, they're not identical, but they're analogous. You're flying around, throwing your hammer, smashing down stone towers with your bare hands, falling from skyscrapers or moving planes and walking away, blasting things with lightning, and beating the snot out of Balors and Demon Lords, traveling the planes, in order to save the Universe from extinction from some kind of Godlike existential threat.

 

[Flamestrike]

Yes. This is the problem: that the fighter can't even do the least of these things.

If at 20th level, you can't even consider kobolds to be ranged thrown weapons, let alone Toyotas and ogres, that's sad.

What magic items does the Fighter have?

I note Thor is decked out in artifacts, Cap has his Shield, Antman has his suit, Hawkeye his Bow and Trick arrows, and Iron Man has his Armor (Armorer artificer 20).

Heck, even Strange is rocking several potent items, including an infinity stone (an artifact).

And before you scream BUT MAGIC ITEMS ARE OPTIONAL! See the last sentence if we're comparing apples to apples.

 

[Vaalingrade]

What magic items does the Fighter have?

Doesn't matter. Shouldn't need them.

Magic items should be about customization and fun, not basic capability.

 

[Rogerd1]

Thing is a 20th level fighter should not be approaching anything like the Avengers - that is why there are 5e supers games.

 

[Flamestrike]

Doesn't matter. Shouldn't need them.

We're comparing them to MCU characters who are literally decked out in Magic (and tech) with many of them literally relying on those bits of gear for their powers.

I mean, we're currently talking about Thor, whose secondary story arc was about his Hammer being the source of his powers (and its certainly an iconic artifact he lugs around).

Fact is, in every published setting (and indeed pretty much every campaign, ever) magic items exist. Those Magic items are designed to give Martials the most advantage (arms and armor do not require attunement, the only Stat increasing items over 20 are for Strength, potions benefit martials more than casters, magic weapons have a crazy effect on DPR - the Martials main advantage, and other magic items give Martials access to things they dont already have like flight etc).

Caster items (scrolls and staves) just let a caster do what they can already do, just more reliably (i.e. more uses of the same between rests).

Fact remains that almost all high level (17th+) PCs have several potent magic items, usually unique, and Martials gain the most benefit from them.

 

[Zubatcarteira]

I think the poll is more about power-level then aesthetics. Level 20 Fighters are really impressive in regards to dishing out and taking damage, but in, like, lifting capacity, speed, throwing stuff/people around, etc, they're way worse than Cap, much less Thor.

 

[Vaalingrade]

We're comparing them to MCU characters who are literally decked out in Magic (and tech) with many of them literally relying on those bits of gear for their powers.

The question is how comparatively capable they are, not what superpowers they should have.

 

[Rogerd1]

I mean, we're currently talking about Thor, whose secondary story arc was about his Hammer being the source of his powers (and its certainly an iconic artifact he lugs around).

Right, but this is wrong. The hammer is not the source of his power, Thor is the source.
Mjolnir was just a focus, like a wand in Harry Potter.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Thing is a 20th level fighter should not be approaching anything like the Avengers - that is why there are 5e supers games.

If you listen to some people, all 5e games are superhero games because you don't turn into a cloud of blood and bits when a goblins crits on you anymore and the metagame resource of HP replenishes daily.

 

[Flamestrike]

The question is how comparatively capable they are, not what superpowers they should have.

OK, lets remove Iron Mans 'magical' gear (his armor) and compare him to a 20th level Fighter.

I mean come on. If MCU Thor gets Magic armor and Mjolnir, our Barbarian gets a Hammer of Thunderbolts (and the girdle and gauntlets, which actually come from Thor in Norse mythology).